Ben Cuevas: Transcending the Material
Every once in a while, I like to take a break from seashells and tampons, and show you what real artisans can do.
Ben Cuevas is a Los Angeles based mixed-media artist who works in a wide range of media; from sculpture and fiber, to photography and sound.
This hand-knitted skeleton was created and installed by Cuevas for an arts Festival in New York.
- Ben Cuevas’ website
- DON’T MISS: Ben Cuevas’ Anatomical Balaclavas
March 29, 2012 at 4:33 pm
This is by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.
March 29, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Oh, and it’s also my new goal to get an anatomical balaclava.
March 29, 2012 at 4:33 pm
No bones about it, he’s way ahead of the usual etsy crowd!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *drinks*
March 29, 2012 at 5:44 pm
prosit
March 29, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Damn, I thought I was doing well crocheting an afghan from an “Intermediate” pattern.
March 29, 2012 at 5:12 pm
You mean this Afghan?
March 29, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Props for Achmed.
March 29, 2012 at 5:45 pm
dammit, gnuknitter!you were in my head YESTERDAY.
March 30, 2012 at 10:03 am
SILENCE! I keel you.
March 29, 2012 at 5:26 pm
You and me both, frogprof. You and me both.
March 29, 2012 at 11:38 pm
Frogprof, my first thought was ‘I can do this!’
But then again, I’m a bottle of wine through the night. Alcohol breeds confidence in crochet!
March 30, 2012 at 8:15 am
Absolutely! Just one row of regular knitting drives me to the Sailor Jerry bottle!
March 29, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Oh. My. I wanted to reach into my screen and touch those vertebrae.
But what’s with the condensed milk cans?
March 29, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Duh! Milk builds strong bones!
March 29, 2012 at 7:03 pm
And healthy teeth! All the better to creep into your bedroom at night and take a bite out of your throat!
March 29, 2012 at 7:24 pm
*non hilarious response* I actually did a report on this guy for a sculpture class in undergrad and the milk cans are a reference the the industry of the area the installation was in. The warehouse was part of a factory complex that made condensed milk. I forget how that tied to the skeleton though. I was too busy trying to get my pupils to stop dilating in amazement to remember.
March 29, 2012 at 4:36 pm
*making grabby hands* Oh, how I want that so very badly!!!
March 29, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Me too! I at least need the pattern! I was happy with my hand knitted socks, but now…..holy shit I feel like a novice, and so not worthy!
March 29, 2012 at 5:18 pm
I’d die of squee if there was a pattern for that. I really would. Hell, I’d die of squee just for the skull.
March 29, 2012 at 10:46 pm
Alas, odds on there actually being a pattern are probably zero; that looks like really brilliant freehand knitting to me. I am in awe. I mean, I can knit 5-foot-square cobweb lace shawls, but they’re a piece of cake compared to a whole skeleton!!!
March 30, 2012 at 6:02 am
Ditto. He must have such a knack for shaping.
March 29, 2012 at 4:37 pm
That is seriously amazeballs. The only thing that could make it better….It needs one of VoodooMaggie’s crocheted hearts and one of SlyFroggy’s crocheted uteri.
(Shameless friend-plugs FTW.)
March 29, 2012 at 4:58 pm
You know what would make it even better than that? Having a series of photographs of the entire work at regular steps in the construction, followed by creating an animation from those picture “slices”.
March 29, 2012 at 8:12 pm
I am taking a moment to enjoy how glorious that idea would be. Thank you
March 29, 2012 at 7:26 pm
He made a series of inner organs all laid out on an operating table. Im sure you could find a uterus and add some bedazzling to it.
March 29, 2012 at 4:39 pm
This is frikin’ awesome!
March 29, 2012 at 4:43 pm
That is amazing. My six-year-old daughter heartily approves!
March 29, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Very clever screen name!
March 29, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Mmmmmmmm – cuddly
March 29, 2012 at 4:52 pm
I just… That just…
Wow.
March 29, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Mnemonic for remembering the cranial nerves: “Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Good Virgins, Ah Happiness.”
Mnemonic for remember the bones of the wrist (second picture): “Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can’t Handle”
EVERYTHING is sassy when you study anatomy.
March 29, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Purls of wisdom.
March 29, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Nice pun.
March 29, 2012 at 8:15 pm
That lil mnemonic will come in handy for studying this weekend. Where was this artist a week ago when I took my Anatomy on the skeletal and muscular systems and was far more interested in dicking around on here?
March 30, 2012 at 1:06 pm
We learned the both too, but a variation of the first: “Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Various Girls’ Vaginas, Ah Happiness.”
That’s probably due to the fact there are no virgins at my school. Oh Arizona State, you so promiscuous.
March 30, 2012 at 9:35 pm
yes, very sassy!
March 29, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Looks anatomically correct. Wow. Just wow.
And such skill. [applauds artist]
March 29, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Best thing I’ve ever seen done with yarn!!
March 29, 2012 at 5:03 pm
And the good news is, if he breaks a leg, it takes hardly any time for the bones to knit.
March 29, 2012 at 5:45 pm
bah-dump dum
March 29, 2012 at 7:30 pm
http://instantrimshot.com
March 30, 2012 at 9:36 pm
^_^
March 29, 2012 at 5:04 pm
When did Jeff Dunham learn how to knit?
March 29, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Holy sacroiliac——that’s stupendous. He needs to post that on Ravelry.
Is there a knitting pattern available for that?
March 29, 2012 at 8:18 pm
It’s awesomeness would stimulate a vasovagal response so strong we mortals would all experience syncope.
March 30, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Bonus points for tactfully working ‘syncope’ into the discussion.
March 29, 2012 at 8:20 pm
*its. Too busy convincing tablet of correct medical terminology spellings.
March 29, 2012 at 5:12 pm
So full of want!
March 29, 2012 at 5:13 pm
He.. or she..?.. looks supa fantastico. I can’t imagine how much time it took to make the skeleton. Thanks for the show & tell!
March 29, 2012 at 5:35 pm
This gave me a boner.
March 29, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Remember everyone… it’s those very seashells and tampons that make awesome art even awesomerer. So, it DOES serve a purpose (well, other than entertaining over 100,000 people on the
interwebs).March 29, 2012 at 6:28 pm
This is frigging fabulous.
March 29, 2012 at 6:34 pm
That’s incredible!
March 29, 2012 at 6:41 pm
*Silently puts down knitting needles in shame and awe*
March 29, 2012 at 6:48 pm
Well, I’d buy the knitting pattern!
*applauds with great vigour*
March 29, 2012 at 7:09 pm
Ooh, I SO want (and would actually wear) that face-muscle balaclava. Reminds me of that cool Robbie Williams video back in the day.
March 30, 2012 at 9:38 pm
facsia, the under explored yarn explosion
March 29, 2012 at 7:47 pm
I’m an eternal lurker, but this was so amazing I had to comment.
I bet breaking one of THOSE vertebrae wouldn’t have hurt as much as breaking the real thing did….
March 29, 2012 at 8:00 pm
I don’t know why this awesome skeleton is sitting on a pile of Eagle Brand cans, but I heartily approve.
March 29, 2012 at 8:05 pm
HOLY SMOKES I went to school with this guy! I just sent him a facebook message. I love being the bearer of awesome news!!
March 29, 2012 at 9:07 pm
I wonder if he could knit me a spine for the next time I have to tell someone off?
March 30, 2012 at 12:11 am
Me thinks yarn would probably not be the right craft material for that particular spine. Wolverine’s metal spine would serve better. But, be careful where you point the knuckles.
March 30, 2012 at 9:42 am
I could knit you a pair of balls!!
March 30, 2012 at 9:09 pm
I could use a knitted L5/S1… I would think being made of yarn it would be a bajillions less painful than my current stock version.
Also loudly applauding the artist, and I know squat about this crafty shit other than occasionally my sister sends me the coolest scarves.
March 31, 2012 at 1:03 am
Less painful and significantly less supportive. This might be the only way I could get the new spine I’m always asking for at every holiday. Same joints, too!
March 29, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Vitun Yes! I like it.
Ironic art!
March 30, 2012 at 4:49 am
When factory life gets to him, he can meditate here:
http://crochetcoralreef.org/about/index.php
Awesome job.
March 30, 2012 at 4:50 am
No matter how mad we think our own skillz are, there is always someone who’s light years ahead…
March 30, 2012 at 6:01 am
Wow, this is so incredibly amazing. As a knitter I’m just stunned.
March 30, 2012 at 6:32 am
THIS!
IS!
ART!
March 30, 2012 at 6:39 am
better:
March 30, 2012 at 7:29 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
March 30, 2012 at 7:34 am
Alright, Sayer of Nay. All you have to do is make an anatomically correct one and post it to that guy so he can see what he did was wrong. Hope you don’t loose your fingers in the process to all the tiny stitches…
March 30, 2012 at 9:40 pm
um, go away
April 3, 2012 at 12:09 pm
You’d think people here could recognize sarcasm… I doubt they’re being serious…….. duh…….. I thought it was funny anyway.
March 30, 2012 at 7:30 am
Holy Balls, that is cool!
March 30, 2012 at 8:53 am
This stuff is amazing. It’s kind of a shame that he doesn’t knit it himself, though.
March 30, 2012 at 10:24 am
March 30, 2012 at 11:55 am
Those photographs are from the Wassaic Project!
March 30, 2012 at 12:36 pm
I also love that, in the last shot, it’s in the lotus position.
This guy is my new hero; a true craftsman and artist
April 2, 2012 at 7:00 am
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this…and every time I do, I get the urge to figure out how to make it in crochet. Then my sanity returns and the urge passes. Damn you, sanity!